Small Chocolate Cake Recipe (Makes Two Large Layer Cake Slices)

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Small Chocolate Cake Recipe (Makes Two Large Layer Cake Slices)

This small chocolate cake recipe makes just two slices of rich, moist, bakery-quality cake layered with silky-smooth chocolate buttercream for Valentine's Day or date night.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Chocolate Cake For Two, Chocolate Valentine's Day Cake, Small Batch Chocolate Cake, Small Chocolate Cake Recipe, Valentine's Day Cake, Valentine's Day Cake For Two, Valentine's Day Cake Recipe, Valentine's Day Chocolate Cake

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 20

Cool Time (See Notes): 4 30

Servings servings

Calories 670kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

Equipment

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons light brown sugar lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup cold water

For the Pan:

Chocolate Buttercream:

1/3 cup unsalted butter very slightly softened
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar sifted
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/16 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk or more as needed
2 ounces 70% dark chocolate melted and cooled slightly

Other:

Chocolate sprinkles for decoration

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cake:

Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Place a piece of parchment paper that’s been trimmed to fit inside in the bottom of the prepared pan, and then lightly spray it with cooking spray.
Make the batter. Whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the vanilla, vinegar, oil, and water, and whisk to combine, being careful not to over-mix.
Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
Cool. Put the cake pan on a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes, and then turn it out onto a parchment paper-lined cooling rack. Let the cake cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes), and then cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 4 hours (or overnight).

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

Add the butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, espresso powder, salt, and milk to a large bowl. Use a handheld mixer to beat until well-combined.
Add the melted chocolate and beat again until well-mixed.

To Frost and Assemble the Cake:

Frost the cake round. Spoon 2/3 of the buttercream onto the cake round, and spread it out as evenly as you can.
Make it a layer cake. Cut the cake in half, and place one half on top of the other. Cut the stacked cake in half again, and place one half on top of the other. You should now have a 4-stack of layer cake.
Frost the back. Lightly frost the back of the cake with some of the remaining buttercream. If desired, lightly press chocolate sprinkles into the buttercream on the back of the cake before it stiffens.
Decorate the top. Transfer the rest of the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe stars or flowers on the top.

To Serve:

Cut the cake in half for 2 large pieces. Each piece is 2 servings, so share it with someone you love!

Video

Notes

Cool Time: The cake needs to be fully chilled before you frost it. There are a few reasons for this. Like any other cake, this helps make sure that the frosting doesn’t melt on warm cake. But it’s even more important with this cake in particular. Because we’re cutting this cake in half and stacking it, we need the cake to be more set than it would be at room temperature. Chilling the cake in the fridge is the way we get the job done! I like to bake this cake in the evening the day before I want to serve it. I let it cool to room temperature, and then pop it in the fridge to chill overnight so I’m not stuck waiting for it.
Storage: Store this cake wrapped well in the fridge for up to 1 week. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving so the buttercream can soften.

Nutrition